So I have noticed quite a few videos and tutorials being posted where the entirety of the clip being from the “gopro” overhead view.
Am I the only one who has a seriously hard time following this angle? Tricks don’t look interesting to me from this angle, and following a move via tutorial is next to impossible for me in this way.
Maybe I’m just weird (I am haha) but I wonder if others feel the same of this?
You are not alone.
For tutorials I find it very helpful. For trick videos, I like it as an alternative camera angle only, not as the main camera angle.
Even for tutorials, I prefer when the GoPro is mounted on a stationary mount instead of the person’s head. I myself have used the head mount (and will continue to) just because it’s just more convenient sometimes. But a top-down that’s stationary is way easier to stay oriented for than a top-down that bobs, weaves, and shakes. 
It SHOULD be just another tool in the video maker’s kit. However, sometimes when you get a new hammer, everything looks like a nail.
When it’s actually on someone’s head, I usually just stop watching the video then… I like it for tutorials when it’s stationary, but it’s really not that great for trick videos.
When I DO use a head mount, I try my best to either hold my head still (which is awkward for yoyoing!) or at least make head movements slow and smooth.
It’s hard and often shaky. But like GregP said, it’s great to learn stuff when you have a different angle.
It makes Janos’ tricks even more mind-blowing IMO
My preference on tutorials is full nudal frontity…
(for side style tricks)
For front style tricks a side view works better for me.
An occasional switch of 90 degrees can be helpful in some cases.
More dizzying than mind blowing but yeah ;D
I have a chest mount that gets around the head bob, but its hard to catch tricks where you pop up higher. I think the top down angle is essential for properly teaching tricks, but I agree that the head bob makes it difficult. A proper tutorial uses at least 2, if not 3 or 4 angles, with a proper description, either written or verbal. It’s when you have a video calling itself a “tutorial” that is just a slow motion full speed trick that the head mount doesn’t help
I’m not a massive fan of the Gopro angle myself. Whilst I agree with Greg in that I think it can be a good idea for tutorials (if done properly), I don’t feel it works so well with full videos.
I do agree with this, Janos in go-pro mode is a thing of beauty. I think for someone like Janos or Zach/Takeshi it gives/would give a fascinating insight into their trick construction since it’s so unique. However for a lot of modern players that have a somewhat similar/more generic style, I’ve found, like Usagi, that all the tricks sort of seem to blend together into one.
I think that with any trick there is an angle that it looks the best from, and I don’t feel that many tricks look fantastic from above. Things like undercuts are barely visible and you don’t get the 3D-ness of a front facing view. A trick that can look rather complex from the front can sometimes look very basic from above.
For me, watching sidestyle tricks from above is the equivalent of watching frontstyle tricks from the front. There’s a reason why everyone turns sideways on stage when they start doing frontstyle, because it looks best from that angle. Just look at these for example:
Now personally, I don’t feel the view from above gives real credit to the way these tricks actually look. It seems to remove a lot of the movement and flow for me. ‘Pyjama Man’ looks kinda generic from the top, whereas from the front you get that trademark Kimmitt bounce. These are just 2 examples, and I’m sure I could find plenty more if I trawled through all the Cabin Tutorials.
So whilst I don’t mind watching through Janos’ eyes here and there, I wouldn’t like it to become the norm.
Agreed. The recent tutorial YYE put out represents to me what a tutorial should be. If you’re at pro-level then perhaps someone putting on a gopro and slowing the trick down slightly might be enough, but I think it’s always more helpful if a trick is broken down and described properly.
Don’t worry your not alone! I also find them hard! (then again I’m also a lefty and most yoyoers are righties which just makes it hard to do overhead tutorials anyways)
Apparently you are not alone, but I no problem seeing it unless it is behind-the-back or any other body trick. It’s hard for tutorials, but other than that, it’s good for me.
I think its good for tutorials but I don’t think its as good for trick videos. I still like to use it in my trick videos though because sometimes an alternate angle is nice. But now since I got a hero 3 black for free I have 2 Gopro’s. So in future videos I can do some fun stuff with multiple camera angles. Sadly there will be a noticeable difference in quality between the hero 2 and hero 3 in certain scenario’s like low light. Because the Hero 3’s camera sensor is much better than the one on the hero 2.
Which reminds me I’ve been being lazy and havn’t edited my next video which I filmed almost 21/2 weeks ago now stay tuned for Gopro waterproof ness and multiple camera angles in my next video Subscribe at the link in my sig for more…